


Reigniting the Fire Kept Closest

by rosie__posie



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Anger Management, Anniversary, Bigotry & Prejudice, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gift Giving, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Party, Past Violence, Reconciliation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:13:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 20,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24312565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosie__posie/pseuds/rosie__posie
Summary: Nearly one year has passed after the ‘Second Great World Blaze’ and disappearance of the Promare. The world, especially the city of Promepolis, has been working hard to recognize the anniversary of that day. Galo himself has had a helping hand in this, ready to move on and celebrate this big event. Lio, however, spends the day before in Detroit, rediscovering Burnish prejudice and his own personal loneliness. After an aggressive phone call discussing their current feelings, the couple worries if their relationship is coming to an end. But on the commemorative day itself, they start to relax and recognize why their relationship truly began.Art for the second chapter created by Min! Check out and support their work on their twitter: @yanyanrkgk!
Relationships: Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Comments: 3
Kudos: 30
Collections: Promare Big Burn 2020





	1. The Day Before...

**Author's Note:**

> Happy 1st Anniversary Promare!
> 
> The art for the second chapter was made by Min, who is an amazing artist! Please check out and support their work on their twitter: [@yanyanrkgk](https://twitter.com/yanyanrkgk)
> 
> Special Thanks to [@matsuhannah](https://twitter.com/matsuhannah) for beta-reading this work!

“Hey! Galo! Wake up already!”

_Pop!_

A snot bubble burst as Galo was stirred awake by the nasal voice of Lucia Fex. She sighed at his complete ineptness as she quickly button-mashed her remote to go back 15 slides on her presentation.

“Honestly, how do you expect to give this gift to him if you don’t even understand how it works? This isn’t just some toy anymore; if you don’t remember all of the modifications I’ve added, you could both end up flying on the road!”

“Relax, Lucia, you know me! I’ve handled Matoi Tech in its experimental stages, what’s so bad about dealing with a few mods on this bike?”

Lucia’s expression matched her now unkempt hair, completely frazzled and ready for a blowout. “Galo, as an engineer, I’m obligated to tell you that if you don’t listen to what I am saying carefully, you’ll both end up getting seriously hurt…so PAY ATTENTION!”

Galo’s calm demeanor turned scared once Lucia blew up at him. In fear of angering her even more, he did his best to listen to her detailed instructions and warnings on how to handle her new modifications to Lio’s gift. What that gift was, Galo and Lucia knew. And they worked hard to keep it between them because Galo didn’t trust anyone else in Burning Rescue to keep such an exciting thing hidden from Lio. 

Except for Ignis. Ignis could know since he didn’t care too much about it. Other than that, the whole gift thing was top secret.

“…So in short, so long as you two keep an eye on the engine and don’t get too cocky on the road, you’ll both be fine. Now, do you have any questions?”

Galo raised his hand with vigor, like an optimistic kindergartner, “Yeah, yeah, yeah! Did you add the paint job I requested?”

Lucia sighed at that statement. She closed her eyes, held her hands close and took a deep breath as she prepared her answer, “Galo, I’m a certified systems and mechanical engineer with a doctorate in my field and more scientific accolades under my belt than anyone else on this team…and you’re asking me if I gave the motorcycle a paint job…?”

A couple of moments passed. Galo scratched the back of his neck, almost starting to feel stupid. 

Lucia smirked, her arms exaggerating her enthusiasm, “Of course I did! You think I would forget something that important?”

Galo clapped in response, “Yes! I don’t have anything more to say then; Lio’s gonna love it! Thanks for helping me, Luce.”

They high-fived. Lucia shrugged at his response. “Hey! You did me a favor, kid! If you didn’t give me this opportunity, Vinny and I would’ve been bored for the past three months.”

The small grey mouse crawled up toward Lucia’s head, before happily squeaking a “Vin~ny!” at Galo. The rodent and the firefighter gave each other a fist (paw?) bump. All three danced and celebrated momentarily before another voice scared them into stopping.

“What are you two doing in here?” Aina asked. She, along with Remi and Varys, looked on at the trio with equal expressions of complete perplexity.

Lucia just turned off her monitor and casually smiled, while Galo casually rested his arm on her desk, yelling, “Uhhh…Nothing! Nothing. Just, y’know, preparing for the party tomorrow, making sure everything’s top-notch for all of you and all your guests…Yeah.”

Aina remained confused. She responded with a questioning, “O…kay?”, before finally heading to her usual bean bag to chill. Remi and Varys chose not to prod either, the former adjusting his glasses and turning away while the latter just grunted. Both headed to the break room to grab a cup of coffee and some leftover pizza respectfully. Galo sighed in relief at this development, whilst Lucia groaned tiredly from Galo’s behavior.

“You know, you really need to relax. It’s only one more night till your ‘lover boy’ returns.”

Galo stubbornly grumbled, “Yeah, well, I just want to make sure this remains a surprise to him!”

Lucia asked, “But why keep it a secret for so long? Even if it’s spoiled, he’ll probably still enjoy it.”

“I don’t want him to find out so easily, Lucia,” Galo looked introspectively into his left hand, gripping it tight. “I always thought that the Burnish could only use their powers to destroy and hurt those around them. It wasn’t until last year, when Lio and I met, that I discovered how wrong I was. He protected me, he helped save the city, and even now, he just keeps surprising me.”

Galo’s mind recollected on those past moments. When Mad Burnish’s boss redesigned the mech, just for him. When this Burnish created the most amazing Matoi, just for him. When Lio helped burn a fire so grand, it saved the world. 

That last moment was meant for all involved, but that action in itself was what Galo treasured deeply.

The memories of the days after the Second Blaze flashed in Galo’s head like a slideshow. The first of them slowly progressed in small visual sensations: A memory of the sun rising as a new day began. Lio smiling back as Galo promised to protect Lio and his buddies as they worked together to clean up Promepolis. The two share a fist bump to symbolize the start of their relationship. 

Cut to the next memory.

It was about a month into the citywide cleanup. The two would sometimes be in separate groups, but even then, they managed to spark a couple of conversations together on their breaks. Galo would often make Lio laugh either from his own sense of humor, or just his sheer stupidity. Meanwhile, Galo just enjoyed the fact that Lio spent time with him. He just really enjoyed the Burnish’s company. He felt he understood that the two shared common interests and weren’t so different after all.

Then, Galo decided to take a risk. He asked his former enemy if they needed a place to stay. An agreement was made between the two, and soon enough, Lio was moved in, sleeping on the couch. Even sooner, the two shared a bed together. 

Galo remembered how wonderful it was to wake up next to Lio. The sun shined behind Lio’s hair, a halo around the late riser as he quietly snored. He looked delicate in the moment; Galo refused to even stir him awake sometimes if not for the fact that they both had jobs to do.

_'Oh yeah!'_ Galo’s mind segued. 

He remembered how he had a conversation with faculty at his alma mater about the ex-Burnish’s desire to protect and help those in need. Although some were hesitant, most agreed to give the guy a chance, and so Lio was enrolled in the school’s paramedic program. Along with this, Lio was also granted an opportunity to intern at Burning Rescue. 

The firefighter’s mind flashed to the morning of Lio’s first day of classes; he was in the kitchen, preparing their lunches. He looked forward and saw his boyfriend in the living room. Although Lio initially appeared calm, Galo knew he was nervous. It was obvious as the man was pacing back and forth in the room, simultaneously tying his hair back and brushing his teeth as he did. After wrapping up two brown paper bags, Galo called him over. As Lio quickly walked to snatch the bag, he was abruptly stopped by a grip on his hand.

“Galo, what are you doing? We can’t waste time like this! We should be heading to the school in 5 minutes or at the very least-”

The firefighter leaned in at that moment and planted a kiss that lasted as long as he could manage. He didn’t care to rush it or pull back hastily, he just wanted it to sink in enough so Lio could just forget the moment, relax and feel his burning love. When the firefighter pulled back, he calmly said, “It’s only your first day, Lio, don’t stress yourself out.”

When Galo released his grip, Lio slowly pulled back his arm. The firefighter saw Lio’s expression change, becoming much more relaxed. The former Burnish exhaled, before pulling himself back into Galo. Another kiss was exchanged. It was short, but still just as sweet. When it was complete, Lio smiled back, with a wink as he whispered:

“I will keep that in mind, Galo Thymos.”

_Snap! Snap!_

“Uh, Galo...Pardon me for interrupting your daydreams about ‘Flamin’ Hot Lio’-and yes, that nickname is official and trademarked by me-but maybe you should check the time…?” Lucia snapped her fingers at Galo and pointed to the gigantic digital clock sitting up on her desktop. It flashed 3:00 P.M. back and forth as Galo quickly woke from his lucid trance and realized what he needed to do now.

“Oh, crap! Thanks for the heads up, Lucia!” Galo, in the span of a few minutes, somehow managed to put away his equipment and change out of his work clothes at a cartoonishly quick pace. Then, he said his farewells to the rest of the coworkers as he ran out the door and jumped straight onto his motorbike. 

He didn’t hesitate to hit the gas pedal; all he cared about then was making it to his planned destination in time. To visit an old friend.

A friend he now dreaded, but needed to see. One last time.

* * *

Lio felt lonely ever since the Second Great World Blaze. 

Now that the Promare have left Earth behind, the Burnish were no longer considered a huge threat to the mass populous. So many ex-Burnish people happily took this opportunity to move back into their homes, hopefully reconnecting with their families. Those close to the ‘Boss’ thanked him greatly for providing them a home and protection during their times as Burnish, but most failed to even stay in contact with him after that. They didn’t even share a phone number. It made sense to Lio, though, since many didn’t really know him that well. That didn’t stop him from being at least a little bit hurt.

Meis and Gueira remained close to the Boss for a while. The citywide cleanup initiative was the greatest couple of months they spent together, in fact. Even Galo had a few chuckles with the boys. Unfortunately, as time went on, Promepolis became less cracked and more polished, and without a permanent stead, Lio’s generals retired from their work and moved back to their respective cities. Meis was dropped back to his old condo in Richardson, just a couple ways away from Dallas, while Gueira drove all the way back to his coastal house in Miami.

They managed to leave their phone numbers for the Boss, but it was still a painful leave nonetheless. The two were the closest to friends Lio had in forever, and now even they had to go.

Lio felt a wave of depression hit him after that. Experiencing his old life disappearing as if those connections barely existed placed a great amount of internal suffering on him. And although he subtly tried to pretend that pain wasn’t bothering him, Galo knew well enough that Lio wasn’t happy. 

The firefighter did his best to help Lio feel more at home in Promepolis: he offered and moved Lio into his apartment, helped him apply to become both a paramedic student and intern at Burning Rescue, and even pulled him into as many community and workplace events as possible. But even though Galo provided his ‘flame’ a place to stay and many new opportunities to socialize and experience the world, this former enemy couldn’t help but feel a little selfish in his nostalgia for last year. 

Lio spent a good amount of time looking back at his left hand: the very same one the Promare slid away from as they said their goodbyes to him. That one solitary departure brought about months of hurt to the young man. 

Sometimes, he would get out of their bed in the middle of the night, pacing along with the short apartment balcony. Worries raised in his head of wondering where the Promare are now, if these beings he spent plenty of time with were okay or if they were hurting without his knowledge. These thoughts translated into serious queries as Lio headed for the library during the week to read up on quantum mechanics next to his studies on anatomy and physiology for his paramedic schooling. Eventually, weeks passed, and Lio just skipped studying to go straight into understanding the theories and implementations of even seeing a parallel universe.

But all his research didn’t reach anything practical, any chance of finding a way to communicate or see the Promare again. That result, plus his lack of sleep, caused Lio to grow angrier by the moment.

That anger culminated into a one-track-minded purchase of a plane ticket to Detroit in May.

* * *

He stood on the sidewalk, behind yellow construction tape. The sounds of rough machinery and hammers knocking upon wall paneling were drowned out by internal quiet. Lio looked on at the noisy site with some serenity, currently being told by one of the workers to stand back to avoid potentially falling equipment. Lio ignored the conversation and focused on the small spot he remembered being at many years ago.

This was the site where he first met the Promare.

But first, a little history.

Before his birth, Lio’s parents were very unusual, to the public eye. His mother was the daughter of a very prestigious family in England, while his father was an American visiting at the time. The two met at a nearby pub, chatted amongst themselves about their very unique lives, and eventually, fell in love over the next week. It seemed quick enough to be something you’d only find in romance movies. This happily ever after, though, didn’t just end at a simple kiss and marriage story.

A couple of years after Lio’s birth, a quarrel between members of his mother’s family breaks out about the ‘American’ living so inexpensively in their house. Many bitter complaints and frustrations were shared until the couple had finally had enough. They decided in a month’s time, that they would move to America and provide Lio a life there instead. When the other members of the household found out about this, they did their best to stay quiet of the potential scandal. By the time Lio and his parents stepped foot on U.S. soil, his mother received the headline first that her family had disowned her. They called her 'a traitor of her bloodline', irking her from keeping a good face for her son the next couple of days.

But rumors pass along with time. The words eventually lose their meaning toward the woman and her family as they made way for this new life. Lio ended up going to a public school in Detroit. He was very astute for his age and quite the popular kid due to his British genetics. Girls even placed a couple of notes in his locker and whispered amongst themselves hoping to hear the young child speak in a suave accent, like James Bond. Too bad the boy was clearly not interested in romantics.

Instead, Lio spent his time with his family the most. His dad, now happy to be returning home, planned many trips with Lio outside of the city. They would go to hiking trails, set up camp, and even go out practicing archery. His mother would help continue the trend by providing Lio an archery teacher two days of the week. Those were the memories Lio treasured deeply growing up. It was one of the few memories he could remember that was the very brightest. But the light eventually dimmed, and reality took its opportunity to strike its cold claws on his home life once again.

Lio thought he knew his mother pretty well. When he talked about her in kindergarten, he described her as “kind-hearted, family-oriented and selfless”. Those turned out to all be wrong when a phone call was received by her from her home in England. The next morning, her belongings were gone. Along with her. Lio was hurt by this, but his father was devastated.

The days continued as if nothing happened. Lio continued and graduated high school. His father worked. The pain didn’t cease.

Lio started working at his first job. His father was laid off. The pain only grew.

Lio started working another job to pay the bills. His father began to drink and sit in his chair, away from the world. Although his son tried to comfort him, Lio’s dad did nothing to respond, now a shell of the once lively man. The divide forced Lio to become more somber. 

Soon enough, his father dies. Lio was left with no one.

Another job came with another hopeful paycheck. Lio had to work late nights at the library. One, in particular, he couldn’t make it to the parking lot in time as three thugs from his old high school managed to corner him at the last block. 

The center thief spoke first, “You thought you were so much better than us, Fotia? Always had this air of superiority at school since we were in kindergarten.”

Lio didn’t mince words, “I don’t think anything of you three. And I don’t want to start now. Get lost.”

The three cronies laugh amongst themselves, their leader continued through a slight smirk, “You’re not really in a position to be giving orders like some sort of king.” 

_Thwack!_

He threw the first punch at Lion's jaw. A small spatter of blood flew at the back alley walls alongside Lio’s body. The thief cracked his knuckles as he grimaced at the fallen young adult with anger in his voice.

“Surprised your mom didn’t teach you any manners, Fotia. Guess she forgot when she ran back to England: along with you.”

The group leaned closer while Lio worked to pull himself off the ground. He prepared a defensive stance as they all went to strike one by one. He dodged the leader’s attacks and managed to side sweep a lackey off the ground. They all had their hands in the mix, throwing punches, dodging left and right. Awaiting his moment of escape, Lio seemed to have an opening as he kicked the two remaining lackeys towards the wall. The beaming of street lamps provided hope for a split second, and Lio ran towards it, as his life depended on it.

But then he felt a kick towards his back. The sound of his spine cracking acted as the final omen. As Lio groaned and slowly pulled himself off the ground, the three assailants wasted no time preventing him from continuing. In almost a synchronous rhythm, they kicked the living shit out of Lio. Each cursed and yelled and spat back at him, no doubt projecting more than just their frustrations with him but also their lives in general. 

Lio had no time to think or fight back. Even if he did, at this point, he was ready to just give up. His father already did, and his mother was no longer in the picture. _'S_ _o what’s the point of living anymore?'_

He sputtered blood from his lips, nearly choking on its taste. His eyesight dimmed at the sight of a lit, but empty street. Lio didn’t care about anything anymore after that. 

He just wanted to sleep.

…

**“…ke up…”**

…

**“…wake up…Lio…”**

…

**“Wake up, Lio Fotia!”**

Lio felt a sharp pain in his head. He yelled in response. His eyes opened, only showing the scleras. The thugs moved back, a bit frightened by this sudden appearance and attitude. They looked on as they saw Lio writhing in pain by some unknown force.

“Should we leave now?”

“…No. Not until he’s unconscious.”

“But-“

“Just fuckin’ keep going!”

The lesser members gulped at this sentiment. A hesitation was placed in their foot as they pulled back to continue their assault. Even the leader was beginning to regret his words. Still, that didn’t mean he would give up. He stroked Lio’s form with a hefty kick and as he did, Lio’s body exploded into a sea of flames.

The group moved back as they saw Lio spontaneously immolate. The flames were bizarrely bright pink and teal in color. Lio’s body remained still, the flames coloring his skin an incredibly charcoal-like black. His ghost slowly moved up as his opponents sheepishly walked back. The eyes of their victim opened once more, the scleras now housing pupils of pure anger. Lio turned and breathed heavily, unable to contain his newfound pain. He reached an arm out, and the flames responded, striking at the assailants viciously.

A pure white was all Lio could remember after that. When he opened his eyes, he returned to present reality. That burnt alleyway spot now a sight of construction.

The kids back then had definitely recovered from the incident, only receiving slightly singed burns on their arms. By now they were probably far away from this spot, or maybe even left Detroit to steer clear of Lio’s presence. Even so, Lio didn’t feel sorry about what they received.

He looked at his hand again and clenched his fist, reflecting on his first moments with the Promare. The pain he felt then, he knew now was from the spatial tear between their worlds, but it grew worse from Lio’s injuries. And the Promare felt that. They told Lio they could heal them and promised that they would protect him, no matter what.

Lio was grateful for that. To finally have something, or someone, to depend on. Then he met other Burnish, people who were alone like him. He found the Mad Burnish, Gueira, and Meis: planned to bring them together, have a home of their own where they could live as themselves. All history. All gone.

His hand was just a hand. No longer could he feel that familial warmth he felt once before. Only cold. Only pain. Only loss.

“L-Lio? Lio Fotia, from high school?”

A voice prevented tears from showing up. Lio turned to the right. Standing before him was a man a bit taller than him, olive-skinned. His long brown hair shaped around his face messily, while his dark eyes looked in shock at the person before him. For a while, all these traits didn’t add up to a face. But high school memories rolled back in Lio’s mind, and he remembered an old friend from student council. One who always had a camera in one hand and a notepad in the other. Who always looked for his next big ‘discovery’ in student affairs.

“Cyrus? Cyrus Delos?”

The man responded with a snicker, “Heh. So you do remember me, Lio. Been a while since we worked in the high school newspaper club, though, hasn’t it?”

* * *

After a long car ride, Cyrus took Lio to a diner near downtown. The two found a booth near the window where the sun beamed by the table. As they awaited service, a quick recap of the two’s lives summarized themselves in a series of sentences.

Cyrus was a former student council member in high school, now working for a renowned news organization as a journalist. He has written incredibly renowned stories about uncovering the truth on seedy crime organization and shady businesses within America. Lio was honestly impressed with Cyrus’s work, but it got him thinking about his next question. Before he could ask though, Cyrus answered for him.

“So, I heard you were the leader of Mad Burnish for a while. Surprised someone as quiet as the bookish Lio Fotia would become so vocal as an adult. I especially didn’t expect you to become Burnish. That news was much more shocking to me.”

Lio looked down at the table, where his arms laid across. Remembering back where he received his powers brought the flash of losing the Promare back. And his eyes almost teared up. He wanted the conversation to change, so he shifted away from it all, “Yeah, well I’m not anymore. Now, I’m just Lio from Detroit again.”

_Bam!_

Cyrus joyfully hit the table with his fist, laughing jovially at such a response, “Glad to hear you haven’t changed a bit. Let’s start this right, then! Excuse me!” He called for the waitress.

An order of two cups of coffee later, and the two were soon led down the familiar path of memory lane.

“Hey, do you remember Dorthea Heights from high school?” Cyrus asked.

“Yeah?”

“Married. With Kids.”

“Really? After all that time she said she would never even consider it?”

“Ha! Yep! She’s living a life her old self never dreamed of. And she loves it. Her oldest is starting up first grade, actually.”

“That is strange to think about.”

“Yeah, what about you Lio?”

Lio spoke mid-sip of his coffee, “What?”

“How’s life going for you?”

“Huh,” Lio took a moment. He realized, since making the trip to Detroit, he didn’t really spend much time thinking about his current life. But remembering who he was now and what he was doing did put him in a good mood. “Well, I’m studying to become a paramedic for Burning Rescue.”

“Ohh, I didn’t expect you to make that career move,” Cyrus replies.

Lio felt a bit defensive at the remark. “What do you mean?”

Cyrus sipped his coffee before explaining, “Well, in high school, you were much more bookish and quiet. I just figured you’d prefer a job at the library or at the office more than working for a public service like firefighting.”

Lio calmed a bit when he heard Cyrus’s response. He motioned his finger around the rim of his coffee mug, thinking to himself, _‘I need to calm down. He’s just an old friend. He didn’t mean anything by it._ ’

“People can change, Cyrus. I mean, Dorthea did too, didn’t she?”

“Ha!” Cyrus loudly laughed, “Guess you’re right!”

As they continued their talk, the waitress returned with a fresh pot of coffee in hand. “Refills?”

Cyrus spoke with some hesitation in his voice, “Uhhhh… no thanks.”

Lio was a bit bewildered by Cyrus’s response, but shook it off as just nervousness. “I’ll take another cup, thanks.”

The lady poured Lio another cup before heading back to the counter. As she did, Cyrus shifted in his chair. He pulled himself close to the table and spoke to Lio in a hushed whisper. His words, though, were clear and emphatic enough to shift Lio out of this friendly atmosphere.

“Just so you know, that girl over there was a Burnish.”

“…Okay…” was all Lio could respond.

“She caused a huge fire down by the Fox Theatre. City kept her contained after that and now that she’s human again, they’re allowing her a pardon of her past so long as she spent 3 years in community service and paid off most of the damages.”

“Oh…” was all Lio could say to that, too. His thoughts on the other hand became tangled in confusion, wondering why Cyrus was telling him this, what Cyrus’s opinion of the Burnish was, and most importantly…

“Did anyone get hurt?”

“Hm? Oh, no! It was like incredibly early in the morning when it happened- about 2 A.M. No one was around or inside the building aside from her and a couple of her friends, who barely got a scratch from the predicament.”

Lio sighed in relief. _‘She had no control, then. She didn’t understand what she was involved in.’_ He looked back at the woman, politely conversing with a family paying for their meal. When she glanced in Lio’s direction, her smile shined pristinely at him. The happiness was infectious as Lio warmly smiled back.

“To be honest, though, it’s kind of a shame our city didn’t take her to the Foresight Foundation.”

The words shattered Lio’s kindness like it was fragile glass. He cracked his head towards Cyrus as his expression morphed into a mix of confusion and disbelief.

“...What?”

Cyrus pulled his cup away from him, then pulled himself away from the table. He clasped his hands together as he made himself clear, “Well, I went to Promepolis a little over a year ago for an exclusive interview with the research group there. During the tour, I got to personally see their technology and old projects: including the Parnassus Project-“

Just hearing about the Parnassus- remembering the Prometh engine, and the pain behind that memory- made Lio want to vomit.

“I mean, space travel?! What a marvelous achievement to have on your belt! Kray and his team must’ve worked for at least a decade and a half on those ideas and now they’ll probably be delayed by the time we’re our grandparents' age.”

Cyrus sighed at that thought, resting his chin upon his arm, “And to add to the prospect of seeing space, it helped provide a use to the Burnish in a way that didn’t place harm on the public. They were given purpose too. I truly believe it was a great cause.”

‘ _What…’_

A multitude of dying faces- those that died frozen in the ice, were crushed under Freeze Force trucks, and those that have turned to ash -flashed before Lio’s eyes. 

He slowly placed his coffee cup down before speaking to Cyrus once again, with discomfort more apparent in his voice, “What do you mean…'great cause’?” 

Cyrus’s face motioned into protective worry. His brow furrowed as he compiled the words in his head to best explain himself. “I mean…what the Foresight Foundation did, creating all this technology to better improve their city, I mean, that was revolutionary and-“

“You aren’t answering my question, Cyrus. What do you mean, when you say, ‘great cause’?”

Lio’s eyes turned into slits, but you could still see the red glare lasering its sights on its target. Cyrus began shifting nervously in his seat, but his demeanor remained unhinged, minus the tremble in his voice, “What I m-mean, Lio, is that what Kray did to protect normal, law-abiding citizens, is admirable. And although the procedure towards Burnish itself was inhumane, it protected those that weren’t able to protect themselves.”

“Bullshit!” 

_SLAM!_

Lio stood up. His knuckles were cut up and bloody as he slapped his mug across the table. Coffee pooled across the countertop. All patrons and staff nearby were incredibly startled by such a change. The one who didn’t expect it the most, though, was Cyrus. His whole body grew pale; his face was charged with fear from Lio’s seething visage. 

The former Burnish did his best not to yell any longer, but the rage could still be felt in this voice.

“You thought it was justified to lock people up and cage them like animals, so ‘normal’ people like yourself could sleep better at night? What a vile thing to say.”

Cyrus remained in steady fear, but he also held a bit of offense to Lio’s words. “I-I’m only saying my opinion on this Lio, you shouldn’t need to get so hysterical-“

Lio’s emotions didn’t care. They were raw and violent, and needed to be spoken. He bit his lip to keep the rage from consuming his actions. “The Burnish are human too, Cyrus! Promare lived under our skin, but we were still flesh and blood. Not a single one ever deserved what Kray forced onto them. The public’s fears dictated their cruel fate and I… I mean—“

Lio bit his lip nearly bloody, refusing to even cry. His heart sunk as he recollected his memories like photographs. When he and his generals were captured, the heartbreak he felt when he saw those poor people—men, women, kids—all abused and bound. The scars on their skin etched with ash, showing that even the strongest Burnish could crumble from the abuses of humankind.

And then, there was Thyma.

Lio never had the chance to talk to her when she was alive, but her Burnish peers described her as being sweet: an innocent who never even had the chance to recognize her potential or even live a normal life again. All of that was stripped away by Kray’s violent grasp.

And according to Cyrus, her death was just. Her life was a threat to the public's peace.

“—It just sickens me that you believe what Kray did was right, considering that I was a Burnish too.”

Cyrus decided to speak up for himself at that moment, “Why would what I say be sickening to you, Lio? Did you ever look out your window back then and see at least one fire caused by the Mad Burnish?! Those people made it their life’s goal to torture innocent people for their own personal agenda.”

Lio bit back, “Did you not listen to the news that morning when they announced the Freeze Force had captured the leader of the Mad Burnish? Or when I was interviewed months after the ‘Great World Blaze’ that the Mad Burnish would always give our victims an escape route and would never kill those that couldn’t fend for themselves?”

The journalist grew even more upset. “Of course I did! You think I would’ve let important stories like those fly under my radar?! What you did alone, though, doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, Lio! The Mad Burnish before you were always sadistic cretins that would give any chance in hell to murder any of us in our sleep—”

Like a record on repeat. The final nail in the coffin for Cyrus was repeating the propaganda Lio couldn’t stand for.

“Shut. Up.”

“No, Lio! I won’t ignore years of conflict. You shouldn’t-“

“I said SHUT UP!”

_SLAM!_

Cyrus jumped from the booth seat. He moved his arms back in response to Lio throwing his across the table, sliding and smashing their coffee mugs in the process. Their drinks pooled over the table like a dark mirror. Cyrus could only see Lio from this very image, afraid to look up any further. Lio on the other hand, kept his eyes daggering towards Cyrus, no longer holding back his emotions. 

“You’ve done nothing but slander the Burnish and claim their morality as corrupt. Okay? Don’t act as if you know about the Burnish and our history like you’re a historian on the subject! All that bullshit of us being murderers burning for fun is a blatant lie! Being a journalist, I thought you'd know better: one trip to the Foresight Foundation means nothing compared to my experience! One I wouldn’t expect you to hear considering how fearful you are of me, right now!”

Fearful was right. Cyrus was quivering, continuing to avoid eye contact. He wasn’t the only one, though.

Soon as Lio relaxed a little, he saw other patrons look at him with mixed emotions of fear and discomfort. A mother at a table next to them had the most concern on her face, pulling her child close in case things turned aggressive.

Before he could get a word in, the waitress from earlier walked towards the table. The young lady stumbled through her words but did her best to calmly demand, “Umm…I’m afraid you two are going to have to pay for the broken mugs and then leave. M-my manager will call the police if you don’t…”

Lio inhaled. A tonal shift returned him to calm as if the past five minutes had never happened. He turned to the woman with a warm smile upon his face, “I’m sorry, miss. I’ll pay upfront in a second.”

She nodded, giving Lio a modicum of her trust, before calmly walking towards the cash register, awaiting his payment. As she turned away, though, Lio’s face returned to resigned anger. He turned to his former friend, now an unrecognizable, trembling mess.

“I hope you live a great life Cyrus, but it’s best if you never contact me again.”

“…Y-Yeah,” Cyrus slowly chucked through his words, still scared by Lio’s nearly bipolar nature. “Don’t worry. I won’t.”

And with that out of mind, Lio just slid out from his booth seat, walked upfront, paid the waitress a hearty tip, and then left without another word. He didn’t look at the windows as he walked past Cyrus’s hunched form. He didn’t care about how aggressive he was in the diner; he didn’t even care about the second-degree burn he felt on the bottom of his hand or the blood that still ran down his knuckles.

No. What Lio thought about most was Gueira. And Meis. And the rest of the Burnish that were seized, abused and nearly tortured to death. He imagined their faces again and reminded himself that they were his family.

And no matter what happens to him or what people say or do, Lio would never let anyone hurt or insult his family like Cyrus or Kray did, ever again.

He wiped the tears in his eyes as he bitterly whispered to himself, “So irritating…”

* * *

Steps echoed through a cold calculating hallway. The guard sitting behind a pane of plexiglass flipped through his magazine when the presence of spiky blue hair gave him a stern look.

“I’m here to see Gov-,” he hesitated. A cough corrected him. “I mean…Kray Foresight.”

The guard apathetically gazed at the visitor before slowly standing up and walking towards the back office door. He went inside the office, leaving Galo alone. The visiting party was left to frantically observe the area, awaiting the next steps of clearance he typically needed to take.

Looking around, the room he was in felt cold and mechanical. There were no windows, and only fluorescent lighting brightened the room. The floor was covered in immaculate tile while the walls were paneled in hard metal that was beginning to rust between the edges. Ironically, the only thing that really kept the place alive was the few synthetic plants laid beside metal seating. 

Galo began to grab his wrist for some comfort. He always was faced with looking in this room every time before visiting Kray, and it was never easy for him. Although this room was never pleasant, it was much more inviting than what would come next.

_Creeeeak!_

The door behind him opens, and Galo is faced once again with the emotionless guard. The man went to a nearby filing cabinet and pulled out the proper paperwork for visiting hours. He clipped it all together on a clipboard, then promptly slapped the brick of forms on the front desk and slid them Galo’s way.

“We can only allow you five minutes today. And if you’re planning on giving Kray anything, you’ll need an officer to approve it before entering.”

Galo looked at the guard, confused.

The guard turned human for a second, giving a smug smirk. “I can see the paper in your pants pocket. Kray’s name is on the back corner.”

Galo looked down at his pocket, slowly pulling out the paper and unraveling it to show the officer. The reaction: not very interested. “I guess…I’ll approve of that. Just finish the paperwork and then I’ll send you in.”

The firefighter nodded, turning away as the guard sat back down to finish reading his magazine. He took a middle seat on the metal bench, looking through the calculated legal writing and writing with incredible speed. The first part of the questionnaire was always the easiest to answer: Enter your name, date of birth, address, telephone number; All typical and simple to input.

It was around the ninth box that Galo felt some resistance.

**Relationship to Inmate.**

Obviously, it wasn’t easy to describe.

Since he was a child, Kray was very much a mentor figure to Galo. But as he grew up, the relationship became almost familial to him as well. Like an older brother or even a father, at least to Galo, Kray transitioned into this archetype by his sheer presence alone. But that has soured now knowing the truth of the former governor’s behavior.

After the Second Great World Blaze, Galo would always face this part of the form, and for many visits he would put “friend” or “former mentor” under the box, expecting that to be the case. But instead, he found that after every visit, that just wasn’t the truth anymore. Kray didn’t want Galo to see him. Every time Galo did, the man would just take the time to belittle the firefighter, refusing to converse and even having the chance to spit on his face whenever a guard wasn’t looking.

Even after all the insults, though, Galo remained one of Kray’s few visitors. Even when Lio spent countless nights debating such visits, Galo defended them, saying he needed to be there for Kray. But…that also wasn’t the truth, and Galo spent so long denying it.

_P-tink!_

His pen dropped on the floor. He lost his focus in the moment, debating in his head what to put in this one tiny box. Kray meant the world to him long ago, but now it was time to move on. And if he only had five minutes to say it, then that was all Galo needed. He picked up the pen from the ground and wrote with confidence: “Former Mentor”, knowing that’ll probably be the last time he’ll ever write it again.

* * *

After handing in his visitation forms, Galo was sent through a series of hallways until he and his guard reached the small room where conjugal visits are handled. Once he entered, Galo’s guard went through the usual instructions:

“You may have a seat. Two guards will bring Kray over. I’ll be here to observe. If he tries to hurt you in any way, I’ll end the visitation immediately and the other officers will send him back to his cell. Do you understand?”

“Yeah.”

He took a seat down in one of the fabric upholstered chairs. It was the only source of comfort in this whole situation. The paper in his front pocket, now hidden, was the worst of it in his mind. Galo didn’t know what he would expect from Kray when he revealed it. But if the response was to rip it up, then it would just officially tear him at the insides.

_Click!_

The door opened. And as expected, two guards held shoulder to shoulder the hulking figure of one former governor, Kray Foresight. The man’s physique appeared unchanged, still barrel-chested, and broad-shouldered. Thanks to the facilities he was brought to, Kray somehow managed to keep a prosthetic arm at his side, albeit not as advanced looking as his robotic one from long ago. Even from all this information, though, Galo could tell by the look of his face and the dishevelment of his appearance, Kray was truly miserable. The orbits around his eyes were dark and sunken from lack of sleep. His hair had grown down the nape of his neck and looked ratty and roughly-textured. Eyelids refused to look upon Galo’s gaze. A feeling of dread upset the firefighter’s stomach almost immediately.

With the help of the two other officers, Kray was placed in his chair, and the two were left only with one supervising observer. Aside from that, the two were alone. And although Galo had planned on this being the last time they would see each other, he didn’t know what to say first.

His thoughts panicked in the moment, eyes darting around, looking for some sort of direction, _'_ _Should I just get it over with or will that just piss him off more…Crap! I’m not prepared for this at all, am I? Why did I agree to just take five minutes with him? I should’ve just waited till next week or something. What do I do n-'_

“Why do you keep wasting my time here, Galo?”

That was enough to clear Galo’s mind. Kray’s voice boomed with the same malice he gave towards the kid last year. It was as though he was still a powerful person, still controlling and demanding over Galo’s person.

“Haven’t I made my point that I hate you? That you’re a cancer to me, a tumor that has eaten away at my life? Why don’t you see that, and just leave me alone?”

Galo’s eyes instinctively closed at Kray’s response. The insults seethed into him emotionally, hurting with an everlasting burn on his emotional self like salt to a wound. Still, Galo resisted the urge to bite back, knowing he would just be sinking to Kray’s level. He grabbed the paper from his pocket, and unfurled it in front of Kray. When the entire thing was completely unfolded, the slits of Kray’s eyelids grew to show red pupils scanning the paper.

“…I found this at my desk a while back. Figured you might want to see it.”

Under his view was something Kray hadn’t seen in years. It was a hand-drawn picture Galo made as a kid, after he was ‘rescued’. The abstract scribbles of blue and blonde under smiling faces made it clear what the image was about. Right next to their two stick figures was a picture of the Foresight Foundation building. Right next to that, Burning Rescue. For a moment, Kray felt a bit nostalgic by it, seeing the smiley face be a reflection of what he was before…everything went wrong.

He looked back at Galo, giving a bittersweet smile to him, and instantly Kray revoked his sudden emotions to return to sheer hatred.

_Rrrrip!_

Right in front of Galo, Kray tore the picture in half. Then in quarters. Then in eighths. He kept ripping it apart, in precise, clean rips. When the paper was entirely converted to confetti, flying off of Kray’s hands, his loud voice cracked through the silence.

“You thought you could just show me some art you made as a child and expect me to like you again? Pathetic. I don’t owe you any sympathy. I owe you nothing.”

His eyes kept in contact with Galo’s, looking for a reaction. Anything to give this emotional sadist a bit of schadenfreude before the visit was over.

Galo didn’t even blink. He just took a deep sigh at the mess Kray created. Kray’s voice faltered a little as he returned to his insults.

“I’ve told you before: this means nothing to me now. You’re nothing to me, Galo. I don’t want you here. So for once in your life, take a hint and leave me alone.”

…

No one spoke for a while, Kray continuing to dominate the conversation as he waited impatiently for Galo’s response. For a moment, Galo took a couple breaths, then opened his eyes. His words were clear and calm, like the whole visit was just a business deal between the two.

“You’re right. I should just leave you alone.”

Kray’s brow furrowed, his red stare domineering Galo’s. The cold blue gaze took control as the words continued.

“I visited you a lot because I thought I needed to be by your side while you were in here. You were a huge influence in my life, Kray, and to see you like this— I felt that I needed to be there for you in some way to help out. At least, that’s what I believed for a while…”

Galo’s head sank a little as he continued. He pulled himself back up, though, refusing to cry or show any more weakness. He stared strongly into the eyes of his former role model, ready to say what needed to be spoken.

“However, I can see that I was only making excuses. I know now that I was just using these visits to see you as you were before, secretly hoping we could reconnect. Heh, I should’ve realized sooner that was very stupid of me to believe in something so unrealistic.”

Kray didn’t even respond, but his behavior had definitely changed. Instead of being an antagonistic presence, he started looking down at his hands, keeping them closed together, fidgeting his thumbs. He didn’t entirely portray it, but Kray could feel that he was truly defeated in this moment.

“So, this will be the last time you’ll see me here. I’ll still send a letter to you each month. But that’s about it.”

Kray remained silent. The room was still; not a single person moved. The two of them just sat at the desk, refusing to look at each other, while the guard stood deadpan beside the door. The scene looked nearly tragic, as if one told the other they were about to die, amid the flickering fluorescent lighting and sullen expressions. Galo didn’t want to end on such a downer. His optimism pulled him back into a fake happiness, and he gave a small grin as he said his goodbyes.

“Well, we’ve only got a minute left. I guess I’ll get out of your way now. Umm…”

He stood out of his chair, walking towards Kray, and patted a hand on the former Governor’s shoulder. Galo’s eyes held back tears, yet the sadness within them remained apparent.

“You know, after all that has happened last year, I still feel like I need to thank you, Kray. At least… for being there for me when I was a child. Even if it was all just a front, you still stood by and helped me when no one else did.”

Kray kept his eyes away from Galo’s. He refused to talk, nor even look back at the kid. Galo figured this would happen, patting the prisoner’s shoulder a couple times as a sign of comfort and acceptance, before finally taking his leave.

And as he walked down the maze of hallways, back to the appointment room, all the way to the front of the building, Galo took a deep breath of the fresh air and looked forward at the sunrise. He finally accepted this inevitable end: the end of being beside Kray.

He reached down to his pocket for his phone, ready to make his call to Lio.

As he grabbed it, though, the young man also felt a scrap of paper fell beside it. 

He bends over to pick it up, unfurls the crumbles. His eyes grow as his heart breaks.

It was one of the pieces torn from his childhood drawing. A piece that Kray somehow managed to slip in his pocket without the guards even noticing. He flipped over the blank side to find that the piece he had in his hands was where Kray’s stick figure was drawn. The labeled name remained clear above the drawing, along with some edges of the Foresight Foundation building, and the volcanoes far from the city were present. Galo assumed Kray just slipped this into his pocket on accident, as another way to just torture the poor firefighter who desperately tried to reconnect with him.

But little did Galo know, after his visit, Kray made a request to the guards for some tape. And ever since that day, had kept the drawing on his wall. The only thing he wanted, was a reminder of the hero he was before. Galo would find this out eventually, though, once Kray sent his first letter to him, several months later.

* * *

Lio sat at the bench near his terminal. His flight was scheduled to depart in 20 minutes, but the man wanted to rid himself of giving Detroit another second of his time. He refused to even look back at the city from the moment he entered the airport. All this time he spent on his trip has only made him despise this reminder of his past even more. Promepolis was his home now, and hopefully, he’ll grow to love much more once he returns.

_Ring-ring!_

The phone buzzed and brightened up. Galo’s name and his dumb smile plastered the screen.

_'Right on time.'_ Lio answered immediately.

“Hey, Galo.”

“Lio! You picked up!”

“Of course I did, moron. I always pick up your calls.”

“Hey! I’m just making sure. You’re so far away from Promepolis. Is it wrong for me to not call you every once in a while?”

“Fair point, Galo Thymos.”

“So…How was Detroit? Did you get everything sorted out over there?”

“…Yeah. It’s fine now. I’ve done all that I can,” Lio said as he rubbed his thumb against his palm holding the phone.

Galo didn’t really believe it, and it showed through his tone, “Are you sure you’re okay? You’ve seemed incredibly tense since before you left.”

Lio did his best to calm his voice, but the hidden anger still showed. Galo knew this and yet Lio couldn’t stop himself from escalating it. He spoke quietly to avoid scrutiny from peering eyes.

“I am fine, Galo. I did what I needed to do. It’s all over now. I’m going home. Can we just…please talk about something else?”

“Yeah, sure. Sorry,” Galo spoke so curtly. A mannerism that Lio wasn’t used to. The conversation continued as normal. “So, have you heard from your two buddies at all? Ignis is doing a last-minute headcount for the party.”

“…Yeah. They’ll be picking me up at the gate soon as I arrive. Gueira sent me a text saying they are currently at their hotel. Meis is napping right next to him.”

“Heh! Those two lovebirds~!”

For a moment, peace returned to the conversation. Lio softly smiled as he replied, “Yeah. That’s a good term for those two.”

Galo went back on track, “Well, good to hear from them!”

For a while, the conversation remained normal. They joked a lot about their friends, talked about Lio’s paramedic training, and even just talked about what movie they wanted to see this weekend. But then, Galo said, “Y’know Lio, I’ve been thinking…”

The voice trailed in the call, Lio managed to interject a bit of humor, “Thinking? Wow, you really have changed in the last year.”

“HEY!”

Lio giggled, “Kidding. Go on.”

Galo’s calm returned, but it was more sullen than before. Lio could notice from just hearing his voice. He heard a heavy sigh through his speaker, before Galo finally uttered a sentence.

“I said goodbye to Kray today. I… I told him I wouldn’t visit him from now on. He responded…as expected: no words, no niceties, just a vile expression of hatred, towards me.”

“…Galo-“

“But, you know, he might’ve shown a little compassion near the end of our visit…he may have responded with kindness in his own way…but I still don’t plan on going back there. Because I need to move forward, Lio. I need to do what I believe is right for me, and for you, and for the people I care deeply about.”

Lio sunk his head into his chest, his bangs hiding his eyes from the world. He felt like a kid being lectured by a parent with how Galo spoke to him. The usual childish attitude the firefighter would usually carry in his cadence was replaced with a sternness that annoyed Lio. And that didn’t stop.

“I have accepted that my tie to Kray was toxic and should end. For you, Lio. So… if you could-“

“Let me stop you right there, Galo,” Lio interrupted, knowing exactly what his counterpart was about to say, “I appreciate that you’ve moved on and everything, but your issue with Kray and my issues do not equate. You don’t understand what I’m dealing with, and I refuse to share this right now-”

“Well let me understand, then!” Galo interjected Lio’s own interruption, “I mean you hardly ever speak about this to me, and when I try to listen, you make it become a fight. I won’t be able to understand until you open your heart to me like I’ve done for you.”

Lio didn’t have a response. He just fell silent again. The sound of the crowd and P.A. announcements filled the void of quiet on the other line.

“…Please Lio, I don’t want to keep having these arguments. Just…talk to me, like a normal person!”

“ENOUGH!”

The airport was silent. Heads turned, but Lio didn’t care. Those that saw him, could barely see his face. The only sign of his feelings shown by clenched fists the shuddering creak of leather gloves.

‘Like a normal person’. Lio felt anything but normal most of his life. The words were proof to him that Galo never understood Lio to begin with. His voice did its best to speak softly through the rage he felt beyond himself.

“You think you can just solve every problem with a little encouragement, don’t you? That one monologue can change someone’s perspective and life for the better?! You’re wrong.”

The anger grew louder. People took notice, shuffling away from the scene, all while Lio’s eyes sparked with an almost violent temperament, “I chose to go to Detroit myself, and I am keeping that part of myself private for as long as I want! You have no choice but to accept that or leave me alone! None of this ‘pseudo-therapy’ bullshit! You've come to terms with Kray? Good for you! He’s still an asshole in my eyes, and that’s my choice! You don’t need to know anything else until I get back!”

Galo’s voice yelled back, “Lio, please calm down. You’re getting wildly hysterical.”

Lio scoffed, “Coming from the guy that runs straight into burning buildings for a living!”

Concerned parties near Lio began to shift even more uncomfortably as they heard Galo’s voice yell even louder through the phone, “I’m not even trying to be a hero here, Lio! I just want to know what’s wrong and have a conversation about it.”

“You don’t need to know about it! It’s my life, my burdens, my choices, not yours! They will never be yours!”

Lio took a heavy breath. When he calmed, he wiped his face of tears and saw as others around him awkwardly looked away, moving forward with their lives much more easily than he could. As he woke from his stupor, the call became silent. His anger shifted to guilt, a heavy weight dropped off on his heart, and it only grew when Galo took a long sigh on the other line.

“Fine. If that’s how you see things, Lio Fotia, then that’s how they’ll be.”

“Galo, wait-“

“No. You’re right. You’d rather act like a child than face this conversation man-to-man? That’s your choice. I, on the other hand, am going to be living my own life, as Galo Thymos, the world’s number one firefighter with a burning soul! One that will always work to help others and lend an ear when they need it most. If you can’t find a way to involve someone like me into even just a single part of your life, then we don’t have to keep this going any further.”

“Galo, c’mon!“

“See you tomorrow.”

_Click._

Silence muffled by the sounds of the crowded airport was all Lio could hear after that. His heart dropped. His anger is still present, but his guilt even more so. He wanted then and there to just smash his phone, throw the damn thing across the building until it was just an unrecognizable amalgam of technology. He pulled his temples, hiding his face from the public, now aware of his predicament like they were the audience of a soap opera.

He felt the tears return, stinging his already fragile skin. The built-up frustration had erupted like a volcano, and now Lio was paying the price. He ringed Galo’s number again, only to receive his joyful voicemail: “Sup? You’ve called the Great Galo Thymos! I’m not on the phone right now, though, so leave a message at the tone. Goodbye~!”

_Click!_

“Shit!”

Lio pressed his fingertips into his forehead. The frustration almost exacerbated into self-destruction, his nails beginning to scratch under the skin. But Lio focused up before blood could be drawn. He needed to be calm, especially since he was in public, already making a damn fool of himself for arguing in the first place.

_'I can’t blame myself for this. It’s not just my fault: it’s his, too! Idiot can’t mind his own damn business. Calls me a ‘child’, when he hung up on me first. Jackass. He’ll see soon making that ultimatum was the worst thing he could do. Soon as I get back, I’m moving out and away from him.'_

And to add the cherry on top of an already shitty day, a flight attendant spoke through a microphone with ‘amazing’ news.

“Attention passengers of Flight 929: due to a mechanical issue, your flight will be delayed until tomorrow morning.”

_'Fucking perfect.'_


	2. The Anniversary

Galo paced himself back and forth in the Burning Rescue truck as Lucia watched from her chair. Both she and Vinny acted as damage control for the overwhelming worry that Galo had now placed upon himself.

His phone pressed firmly against his ear. The sound of ringing persisted. A familiar voice spoke robotically back. “You have reached the voicemail box of—“

In response, Galo did the most collected thing he could do. He swung his arm high and threw his phone wildly to the other corner of the room.

“Hey, hey, hey! This isn’t the end of the world, buddy,” Lucia spoke with concern, running to pick up the phone, “Oof! …but this may be the end of your screen protector.”

Galo began to grab his head, pulling at strands. His brain was tortured internally after last night’s call; it was nerve-wracking for him. Last night was so ingrained in his brain, the firefighter couldn’t even have the courage to face home. Instead, he did what he typically did when he stayed late at work: he holed himself up in the Burning Rescue truck till morning.

Even then, though, he couldn’t face even leaving the confines of the vehicle’s space.

His coworkers steered clear, knowing Galo didn’t like to involve others in his frustration. That didn’t stop Aina from worrying about him. Since she had a job on the south side of the city, though, she pleaded to Lucia that she needs to stay with him until she returns. Through that plea and a little literal ‘candy-coated’ bribery, Lucia stayed behind. And right now, seeing that her job was basically babysitting once again, she was starting to regret taking that 24 pack of exclusive gourmet lollipops.

As she picked up the phone and its glass fragments, Galo began to verbalize his fears.

“What have I done? I’ve never done anything like this before. How could I have said that to him now? If I try to return home now, he’s going to kill me, I know it! Or worse, break up! I’m done for! There’s no way for me to fix this, it’s all over!”

After many frantic, panicky gestures, the usually responsible fireman just crumbled to the ground in shame. Lucia walks close and gives Galo a couple of pats on the back. Vinny also offers a helping paw alongside his scientist owner.

“Hey, relax, Galo! It was inevitable. I mean, both of you are very stubborn when it comes to your arguments. Just apologize when he arrives for the party tonight and move on.”

Galo pulled his head out of his knees, his face alarmed by hearing such news. “Oh no! I can’t face him tonight at the party, Lucia,” he yelps, grabbing Lucia by the arms. He pushes and pulls her back and forth as he asks, “How am I supposed to move forward and give him his gift after behaving like such a jerk?”

Lucia starts to get dizzy and pushes Galo away from her to stop his anxious loop. She adjusts her goggles before reiterating herself, “Simple! When he gets here, apologize to him and then continue as planned.”

“…But what if he really takes what I said to heart, Lucia? He could be packing his bags right as we speak. I might not even get the chance to apologize, then.” Galo begins to fall back into the fetal position, his hands clasping the frustration upon his face.

“That’s extreme, Galo. And entirely implausible.”

“How do you know that?”

“Easy,” Lucia simply says. Within an instant, she hops down to her usual seat, presses the power button on the vehicle’s internal computer, and at startup, begins typing at a quick pace. In a couple of seconds, photos of the Burning Rescue crew popped up, warmly smiling from obvious holiday or personal events that happened at the time. Lucia types a few shortcuts to zoom in on Galo and Lio’s faces in a couple of these photos.

“Since day one, you two have always been close together,” she exhibits photos of the two holding each other. Some even included Lio nudging his head near Galo’s shoulder, and Lucia made sure to emphasize that with a big red circle around the ‘evidence’. Galo began to worry if his coworker was someone that did clickbait thumbnails for YouTube videos in her spare time.

She continued, now moving to a photo where Lio and Galo’s faces have subtly changed. The smiles remained, but they were much more saddened and sincere. The two remained even closer in this image, Galo placing an arm around Lio’s back that exhibited a taste of comfort and warmth Galo missed.

“Even when you guys have had huge arguments, you both managed to pull yourselves together and stayed close, because you’re both madly in love with each other.”

As Lucia continued her case, Galo remained glued to Lio’s face on the screen. He remembered that day the two were this close. The day before the picture was taken, the two were arguing about Lio’s trip to Detroit. Galo worried about allowing Lio to leave for someplace so far away and bound to have people that shared a dislike for the former boss of the Mad Burnish.

The complaints he yelled played back in his head, “Why would you go back to Detroit, Lio? I thought you told me there were people there that wanted you dead. So, why go back there at all?!”

“No! I said there are people who don’t like me. That I’m technically dead to them. That’s what I meant.”

Galo pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath. His mind was completely scrambled with frustration, but he couldn’t just take a ride to the lake this time. Lio was right in front of him. He had to be honest and straightforward, even if it meant being brutal.

“I just don’t think it’s wise to go there. You already have a lot going on here. Why can’t you give it a couple more months? My paychecks are going to add up pretty soon. Can’t you just wait till-“

“This isn’t your decision, Galo!” Lio seethed, his hands instinctively becoming claw-like as Lio tried to hold back the fire in his soul. “I can handle myself fine out there. You of all people should know this!”

Galo for the first time in a while was scared by this, seeing Lio as a stranger in this attitude. He gulped in air anxiously; for a second, he was afraid of irritating Lio even more. But then his stubborn boyfriend senses kicked back in, now at a crazy maximum. It was time to just end things now before they got uglier. Galo vented this frustration the only way he could.

“Agh! I can’t do this right now. I’ll come back when we’ve both cooled our heads.” Galo promptly walked out of the kitchen towards the apartment door. Lio managed to call out his name before the firefighter promptly shut this problem away. As he did, though, his heart pounded even faster, like he was a hummingbird. But it wasn’t out of flirtation; that should’ve been obvious. It was fear.

Galo wanted more than anything to apologize. To pull the door open again and just hold Lio in his arms. But he couldn’t accept that possibly being the last time he saw Lio. If this trip to Detroit actually happened, Galo wouldn’t be able to function even as a firefighter. Focusing on saving others while you can’t even save the one you love was terrifying to him. 

So he didn’t want to give in yet. He would argue this point to Lio at another time. 

For now, it was time to head back to the lake and at least try to relax.

…

That is what Galo remembered at the time.

Now, he couldn’t help but realize how overprotective he was towards Lio. It was hard to really accept, but it was his truth. Ever since last year’s events, Galo tried controlling Lio’s life in a way that the firefighter thought would provide him safety.

But that was too much. And Lio wasn’t as weak as Galo had somehow characterized in his head. He knew this as he looked back fondly on previous memories, proven in Lucia’s photographs.

Lio’s tough. And he’s an adult. Galo didn’t need to babysit him all the time.

“You’re right, Lucia. We’re both strong people. And our love is the strongest bond on this planet.”

“ _Snk_! Yeah, literally. You set the entire galaxy ablaze with that thing,” Lucia jokes, before returning to a more serious mood. She placed her hands on Galo’s shoulder and stared him down. Her words echoed in his head as she spoke them, like she had become his conscience, “Now, stop being your usual stupid self and just talk to him, you big oaf!”

Galo nodded, “Alright!” He put on his jacket, grabbed his motorbike keys and began to head out the door-

“Hey! Where do you think you’re going?” Lucia interrupted as if all she said was wiped from her memory. Galo turned back, exaggeratedly frustrated.

He emphatically gestured at his exit, “I’m going to the airport to pick Lio up! What does it look like I’m doing?!”

Lucia verbalized an “Ahhh,” to let Galo know she understood, but then just as quickly turned back to her computer to get on the airport’s website, showcasing why this plan wasn’t possible.

“Guess you didn’t get the memo, but that won’t be happening. For starters, his flight got delayed.” She pulled out her phone next to showcase her next piece of ‘evidence’, “Secondly, he already made plans to be picked up by his two Burnish buddies. Look!”

The phone didn’t lie. Somehow, Lucia hacked into Lio’s phone to see his messages, one of which was a group text between him, Gueira, and Meis. The three confirmed to have agreed on meeting up at the airport gate.

Knowing this new data, Lucia expected Galo to respond in frustration, but never did she think he would return back to his anxious starting point. He was freaking out once again, pacing the floor and babbling nonsensically. She sighed at this outcome, ready to just give up and get back to her own work until Galo snapped for a second back to a realization he should’ve had a minute ago.

“How do you have Lio’s text messages?!”

* * *

The doors automatically slid open to the sound of honking cars and people rekindling with their friends and family. Lio looked around for his own, wondering if the text he received from Gueira was a blatant lie or if they had stopped at the wrong gate for some dumb reason.

_Honk! Honk!_

“Boss!”

A puff of red hair began to suffocate Lio out of nowhere as hands embraced his back and pulled him almost a foot off the ground.

He managed to grunt a few words, “G-Great to see you too, Gueira-”

“Hey!” Another familiar voice yelled from behind the car. “Easy on him, Gueira. He’s had a long, painful week.” Meis rushed to help put away Lio’s baggage in the trunk of his rental. Gueira apologetically pulled away and gave a gentle, but still excited pat on Lio’s shoulders.

“Sorry. It’s just been so long since the three of us got together. Couldn’t help but get excited!”

Lio chuckled with a wide smile on his face, “Of course. I’ve missed you both too.”

The trunk door slammed shut in time as Meis asked, “Well then, shall we head off?”

* * *

The ride out of the airport and into Promepolis was a much better experience for Lio compared to his first time back in Detroit. The clean cityscape overwhelmed him as he reentered. Despite being originally owned by the Foresight Foundation, Lio saw some beauty in the buildings towering above the streets. They definitely looked like pillars of progress, glass prisms that held many hardworking and most(ly) amazing people.

His eyes trailed down then to the sidewalks. People, both human and former Burnish, now walked together. There was no fear of if someone were to combust or burn a building down, just friendly chats and bright smiles. Compared to what he experienced in Detroit, Lio hoped it would become more like Promepolis: a former nightmare of his past, now a place of peace and connection.

“So…how was Detroit, Boss?”

Lio turned back to the front of the car. Gueira looked back at him, concerned.

After a deep breath, Lio managed to finally vent his frustrations to those he could vent to, “It was awful. I don’t know why I decided to take that trip in the first place. I thought, maybe I’d find some closure and move on from the last year, but then I just experienced these flashes of the past. And I met with an old friend from high school that decided to preach their anti-Burnish bullshit to me as if I wasn’t a Burnish, to begin with. The situation was just so irritating, I wanted to-“

“Whoa whoa whoa! Slow down there, Boss! You’re starting to speak faster than the speed limit,” Gueira replied. A couple of deep breaths later, and Lio apologized.

“Sorry, got a little too worked up. I haven’t really been able to talk about this with anyone.”

“Really? Not even Galo?”

“No,” Lio said, “He doesn’t need to know about this.”

Meis asked his own question, looking at Lio from the rearview mirror. “What makes you say that?”

Lio sighed, hanging his head by the car window. He closed his eyes, unable to confess without doing so, “Because it’s not his problem. It’s ours. The Burnish have dealt with so much in the last 30 years. We’ve had to deal with discrimination, verbal and physical abuse along with people like Kray Foresight trying to kill us for personal gain. Telling Galo about my problems like this will solve nothing. I can’t have him trying to play hero over issues he knows little about.”

The car grew silent. When they reached a red light, it screeched, and Meis took the opportunity to turn back and look Lio directly in the eye.

“Boss, I get what you mean, but don’t you think at least sharing your feelings with Galo would be better for you emotionally? We know you have difficulty with your anger sometimes, so maybe talking with Galo will help you at least feel better.”

Lio felt a bit of annoyance at these statements, thinking Meis was just exacerbating things as Galo did. But now that he’s taken a step back from last evening’s phone call, he slowly began to realize how he behaved. His own words re-entering his thoughts; they bit back at him with evidence of his shortcomings.

_'You don’t understand what I’m dealing with, and I refuse to share this right now._

_You think you can just solve every problem with a little encouragement, don’t you?_

_These are my choices, not yours!_

_They will_ ** _never_** **_be yours_** _!'_

He pulled his head down in shame, guilt held his heart in victory. His face fell into his hands, fingertips nearly ready to scratch at his skin until he bleeds. Meis placed a hand near Lio’s knee, though, and a voice of comfort spoke to him.

“I know these past couple years have been rough; Gueira and I have experienced some prejudices of our own. But, we’ll always be there for each other. Galo will be there for you too if you give him a chance.”

He pulled his head back up, tears barely making it past the ducts. Meis and Gueira’s eyes sparkled like gems, smiling down at their Boss. Lio smiled back and nodded with an affirmative grunt.

“Okay. I’ll tell him.”

Meis patted his knee and replied with, “Great!” while Gueira enthusiastically yelled, “That’s the Boss I know!”

Lio thought to himself, _'_ _After I’ve apologized to him. Remembering what I’ve said to him, though, might make it difficult.'_

“Now, to the supermarket for some snacks and booze!” Gueira yelled as Meis stepped on the gas the moment the light turned green.

The sound of cars honking back as they drove a bit beyond the speed limit placed Lio back in a good mood. He laughed as a thought crossed his mind.

_'Old habits die hard, I guess.'_

* * *

Galo’s foot tapped incessantly as he bit his thumb. He sat on the couch in casual attire, pained in expression. Lucia, hair down and looking way more lax than usual, sighed at this development, or lack thereof.

“Galo, sitting and panicking doesn’t solve anything,” she said, hands on hips. “When you see him, just talk to him and relax.”

‘Relax’ wasn’t really in Galo’s vocabulary right now. And he worried that the word wasn’t in Lio’s either. His heart raced as fast as his foot could. Surprised that the usually confident firefighter was acting so anxious, all Lucia could do now was shrug and say she tried.

_Knock! Knock!_

Galo’s heart jumped at the sound near the door. He watched as Lucia walked to open it. Instead of Lio, there was Ignis, with materials set for his grill.

Another knock, and in came Varys. Then Aina and Heris. Then Remi. The tension was becoming unbearable as the list of people invited to this party grew thinner and thinner. Eventually, Lio would show up and somehow, Galo thought that meant the end of everything.

_Knockknockknockknockknock!_

An unfamiliar bang at the door signaled Galo that they were here. As the door creaked open, a patch of red hair popped out and yelled in a ‘cartoonish’ voice, “What’s up, Burning Rescue?!”

Gueira smiled enthusiastically at the party, with a couple of 6-packs under his arm. Meis stood next to him, his own arms carrying various snacks in grocery bags. He yelled too, “Mad Burnish is here and ready to get this party started!”

The two worked their way to the break-room-slash-kitchen-area. Following them, were a pair of black combat boots. Unraveling his scarf and removing his coat, Lio stood with presence. 

The fluorescent lights of the room spotlighted him; he was the only thing in Galo’s vision. 

Worry and fear melted away as the firefighter became entranced by his boyfriend’s image. The former Burnish’s eyes glittered like gems. His nose was so small and cute. His lips looked soft to the touch. It had only been a week since he saw that face, but it was enough to socially starve Galo. If he had followed his impulses then and there, then Galo would just forget about last night’s call. Instead, he would just strut his way to Lio, wrap that man around his arms and kiss him for eternity.

“Hey, Boss!” Gueira’s yell halted him from doing any such thing, though. Lio looked happy now, spending time with his friends. His smile around Gueira and Meis as they laid out the snacks and beer brought Galo joy just witnessing it. His nervousness stopped; he decided then it was time to relax and enjoy the party. The two will resolve their issues eventually.

For now, it was time to celebrate.

_Knock! Knock!_

Surprisingly another visitor arrived at Burning Rescue. This time, though, Remi got the door. On the other side a mysterious lady with a young freckled face and vibrant orange hair appeared, warmly smiling at the bespectacled man. A kiss to the cheek just brought everyone at Burning Rescue to even more confusion.

As the more curious members drew closer, Remi cleared his throat before introducing the young woman, “Guys, this is Cassandra: my girlfriend.”

Everyone's eyes popped out like cartoon characters. No words were spoken, but the atmosphere was pretty obvious, at least for Burning Rescue. Lucia spoke first, “I’m sorry, could you repeat that? My hearing must not be great ‘cause I thought you just said that this lady was your girlfriend.”

Varys next, “I thought you said she was an alligator or something...so why’d you tell us that?”

Remi blushed as what was expected came next: his girlfriend turned to tease him, “Remi! You did not say one of our inside jokes out loud at work like it was a fact!”

The guy couldn’t respond. He turned away and covered his mouth, refusing to answer. His girlfriend lightly jabbed at him. “Remi!”

That was enough to get him to confess, “I didn’t mean to say it out loud. It was just a spur of the moment thing! And somehow they believed it, so I kind of just went ahead and...played along.”

Cassandra didn’t know what to say, her words just reverting to laughs. Burning Rescue couldn’t help but try to debate after Remi’s last comment, though, saying things like, “What do you expect? We literally lived in a world where people could control fire from their bodies! What’s not to believe after that?!” She calmed down a little, then explained, “I’m sorry that Remi tricked you all. I guess if you would like to know, I used to live in Florida. My family used to do the gator tours down there and…”

Gueira’s ears were metaphorically burning. Triggered by the fact that this woman just said she used to live in Florida, he leaped from Meis’s side and straight to hers. Remi nearly jumped at how fast Gueira moved towards his girl.

Ruby eyes beamed at the woman, nearly looking like lasers locking onto a target. He dragged her off as he ran through sentences like passing thoughts. “Oho! You’ve got to tell me more! Y’know, I’ve been meaning to send Meis to a gator tour-”

Remi, feeling unbalanced, shifted his posture, and glasses back into place. He was glad that his girlfriend was beginning to get along with some of his coworkers. However, the one she seemed she was about to get along with the most was Gueira, which could spell disaster very, very quickly.

“I...better make sure she doesn’t end up getting set on fire or anything…”

The other Burning Rescue members didn’t respond. Now that they knew Remi’s dirty little secret, the trio of idiots just crossed their arms and gave their coworker a dirty look. Even Vinny replicated them as he stood atop Lucia’s head. Remi didn’t really react to it; he just walked a close distance to his girlfriend in the hopes he can rescue her when Gueira’s conversation turned awry. Meis followed close behind as backup.

Knowing that she needed to give some space, Lucia moved away next, exclaiming, “Well, I’m gonna go check my games library before we dive into them tonight. See ya~!”

As she wriggled away, that just left Varys, who refused to even say a word as he slowly moved away like a boulder being pushed out of sight.

And that just left Galo and Lio alone together. The first time they were alone together, after Lio’s trip. The two could barely look at each other, only thinking that if they did and ended up saying the wrong thing, their counterpart would only provide mean looks and angry yells as a response. They both cleared throats and behaved nervously, only making small noises of uneasy laughs and mumbles. 

Galo managed a word first to try and break the tension.

“Umm, Hey.”

Lio looked away before waving a small hand back.

“Hey, yourself.”

Well, now the two were stuck. Too stubborn and too nervous to apologize. It was even worse now that they were in a public space near close friends. A couple of moments passed before the two tried to converse again.

“So I’m-“

“Galo, I-“

Both stopped as the other interrupted. They tried again.

“Lio, don’t-“

“It’s just-“

They stopped again, sharing an awkward laugh before looking away.

“...Look,” Galo stumbled out a word as Lio looked back with concern, “I know you’re probably still upset about yesterday- to be honest, it’s still difficult for me, too. But…”

Galo shifted his weight, refusing to look at Lio as he managed his sentence. Lio looked down at his feet, eyes shut, expecting the worst to be uttered.

“Can we just put our argument on pause, Lio? Just for tonight.”

Lio’s eyes popped open. He turned to see Galo, still shyly turned away, but also incredibly downtrodden. Lio understood from seeing Galo’s puppy dog expression staring at the distance, that both were incredibly hurt by yesterday’s actions. Both were guilty of the fight, and both wanted to make amends with the other. But they needed some time to do it, and they definitely didn’t want to accomplish it all at the party celebrating such a stressful event for them.

The heels of Lio's boots clicked on the wooden floor as he moved close to Galo. He reached for an open hand, entwining his fingers into the spaces between Galo’s own. Lio gently caressed the palm as he laid his head next to Galo’s arm. 

He answered somberly, “Of course I can, Galo Thymos.”

Galo smiled back at Lio, glad to know the two were on the same page. They stayed like this for a while, watching as their friends and their guests chatted amongst themselves. It wasn’t until Ignis announced food being ready that they finally moved from their spot.

The party for the most part after that, was incredible! Ignis grilled his team and their guests a plethora of burgers, hot dogs, and steaks that caused the whole group to salivate at his command. Of course, some were given vegetarian or vegan options, but even then, Ignis cooked them so deliciously, that even carnivores like Galo or Varys seemed to enjoy them!

After the food was finished, Lucia started up her computer monitor at lightning speed, along with placing a motion sensor device and dance pads along the floor. Her desktop beamed with icons of dancing games she compiled over the years, including the rare Japanese imports many would pay a fortune to find. Most like Aina or Remi stuck to the mirror-like dancing games with common pop songs they heard on the radio, while elites like Lucia, Gueira and Meis, stepped their heart out to DDR songs as their friends cheered them on. All in all, the whole experience was a blast and it really put Lio and Galo back into a joyful mood.

The time came to pass, though, and soon it was time to reveal the real reason Galo wanted to celebrate with Lio.

“So, I have something I’ve been meaning to give you, Lio. Care to head to the garage with me?”

“Sure.”

* * *

Down the stairwell they went, Galo keeping a grip on Lio’s hand whilst Lio kept a hand in front of his eyes. At the final step, Galo finally let go, leaving Lio standing alone, listening to the sound of Galo’s echoing voice.

The firefighter cleared his throat before he spoke, “Lio Fotia, former Mad Burnish Boss, volunteer of the Promepolis Clean-Up Initiative and soon-to-be paramedic of our very own Burning Rescue: I hope you’ve relaxed all you can from tonight’s festivities, ‘cause I’m about to set your soul ablaze with what I’m about to give you. Be warned! For what I’m about to show you may even blow your mind. This firefighter with a burning soul decrees i-!”

“Geez...JUST SHOW IT TO HIM ALREADY!”

A familiar high-pitched nasal voice echoed. Lucia, followed by Gueira and Meis impatiently stood out of the edge of the door leading back inside. They all gave Galo similar, grumbled looks as the firefighter looked back with one frustrated eye open. His foot began to tap in frustration, upset that his monologue got interrupted in a brash way. Nevertheless, he cleared his throat and moved on.

“Ahem! Lio Fotia, for all you’ve done this past year: I, Galo Thymos, present to you the greatest gift a burning soul like you deserves! Feast your eyes on this bad boy!”

On that cue, Lio opened his eyes. And what he saw, made the past twenty-four hours of frustration, disappear.

What Lio caught first was the shiny chrome on the handlebars. The same metal sheen that glowed from the engine and trailed to the exhaust. The lines traced the body of the motorcycle, displaying its beautiful black coat with decals showcasing various Promare. All of it led up to the leather seating, fit for a king, or in the case, the boss of the Mad Burnish. It slid towards the steering, chiming Lio’s motorcycle knowledge to recognize at an instant that this bike was a standard cruiser. But it was definitely heavily modified based on the change in various parts and wiring one would only see from a ‘mad scientist’.

It was…unexpected. Lio held his hands near his mouth in complete shock. His heart dropped, but it didn’t sink. His mind became wiped of all his frustrated thoughts and feelings like specks of dirt on a windshield. For the first time what felt like forever, Lio felt surprised. And it wasn’t the kind of surprise that would lead to fear of imminent danger. It wasn’t a surprise that would lead the man to irritation. No. Lio felt surprised with an emotion he hadn’t seemed to feel in a long while. 

He was happy.

“Well, what do you think? It’s not as flashy as Detroit, but with the help of Lucia’s modifications, this bike could be just as powerful on the road.”

Lio kept his mouth clasped in his hands. He really wasn’t sure what to say. Honestly, he kind of wanted to scream; he wanted to act like Galo would and just beam excited energy across the garage for hours. But his composure pulled him back, and he managed a smile along with some words of gratitude.

“I love it, Galo...I...I mean, this is amazing. No one’s ever gotten me something so personal. I mean, the cost of the bike alone must’ve been so expensive. How did you-?”

Galo scratched the back of his head, blushing. He answered bashfully, “Well, umm, this is kind of embarrassing to admit, but I’ll say it anyway! With Ignis’s permission, I, uh, worked a couple of late night shifts at the Hooters a couple blocks away. That’s why you only saw me come home around 2 AM in the past few months. Kind of embarrassing to admit, but...”

Lio didn’t want to believe a word, giving a look that pointed daggers at the supposed ‘waitress’, “Enough jokes, Galo Thymos.”

Galo raised his hands guiltily, “Kidding! Of course, I’m kidding! I had some tutoring gigs at the academy once you graduated and joined the team. It was a lot of hard work, but the added bonus of helping future firefighters definitely helped.”

Lio was now at a loss of words, staring back at this ride, unable to even move from his spot. He never really had a gift like this in his life. He never even had the experience of getting a car on his sixteenth birthday. It wasn’t like he was ungrateful about not receiving these types of gifts, his life was just never normal to begin with. And then that gratitude changes when you’re Burnish. In that case, you’re lucky enough to receive the gift of a warm bed or a nice meal.

But since the Promare were now gone, Lio couldn’t help but feel bewildered at receiving such a nice gift so quickly.

“So...ready to take it for a test drive?” 

Galo jingled the keys into Lio’s hand. Next to it was a little pink flame made of fabric, with an adorably simple face drawn in marker. Lio lightly pressed his thumb into the felt-like material. His eyes softened as he examined the small charm. He felt hurt, but still cherished the thoughtfulness of the present.

“Lio? You alright, buddy?”

Galo waved his hand across Lio’s eyes. The latter woke out of his stupor, nearly close to tearing up. Luckily, no one noticed, especially Galo. He cleared the tremble from his throat and spoke with his usual assertive tone, “Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s go.”

They put on their jackets, sat at the seat, and readied the engine. Galo wrapped his arms around Lio’s thin torso. Lio throttled the handlebars and revved up the bike. The machine growled with the same fiery temper Lio once acquainted with his old one. As it quietly went into a soft purr, voices yelled behind them.

Gueira asked first. “Boss! Did you make sure to bring-“

“I got it for you two. Don’t worry,” he smiled back at them as he said it.

“We look forward to seeing it in the air, Lio,” Meis responded with a pleased grin. He and Gueira both, arm-in-arm, watched and waved alongside Burning Rescue and their guests as Lio rode off with his boyfriend at his side.

The city buildings mirrored the two of them. Neon signs and stop lights paint their world with vibrant colors. The firm, gentle hug Lio felt at his stomach pulled him closer as they braked at an intersection. Lio didn’t want to stop it. He didn’t want to ruin such a nice gift and a delightful moment he was experiencing at this time.

But. He still had to face that he and Galo were in a fight earlier. And now that Galo had given such a generous and thoughtful gift, Lio in comparison felt he had been completely self-centered in his behavior the past day and a half. 

_'I need to make this up to him',_ he thought, ' _But I don’t know if what I have will be enough. It’s practically worthless compared to this bike. Should I just wait until tomorrow? …No, that’ll be even worse. But- what now? I’m left with no other options…'_

“Lio, the light’s green.”

He regained his focus at the sound of Galo’s voice. 

“Oh, right. Sorry.”

A car managed to honk at him a few times before Lio carefully sped his bike straight along the exit road. 

The two drove past a sign for the city limits, onto a country roadside. The path led to the familiar forest and when their eyes met water, they knew they were right where they needed to be.

* * *

Lio braked when his eyes met with the frozen lake, it’s surface sparkled with an otherworldly iridescence. In Lio and Galo’s mind, that idea wasn’t too far off as they remembered when they met with Deus Prometh- or at least… his digitally downloaded consciousness. After the events of last year, though, the base where Deus waited for many years was now destroyed to a crumble. Water had filled the crater once more and within winter’s time, it had returned to being a frozen lake.

Both Galo and Lio scraped through a couple of feet of snow before reaching the icy edge. Galo, being the most rash of the two, took a leaping step against Lio’s wishes. He skated along the ice without any issue of breaking the thinly frozen floor. Lio on the other hand, remained still, not intending to move from his spot at all.

After exchanging a couple of odd looks, Galo braked and questioned Lio, “What’s wrong?”

Lio sunk into his scarf as he mumbled his answer, “I...have never skated...before…”

Galo’s eyes grew from surprise. He exclaimed, “Wha-ha-What? You’ve never been ice skating in your life? Didn’t you live in Michigan for a while? You were literally just there yesterday! How have you never experienced it before?”

Lio just turned away as he bitterly explained, “Yeah, well after I became Burnish, ice skating was never really something I could have time for, let alone take the time to learn…”

“Oh...right…” Galo’s guilt snuck in at the moment Lio’s explanation reached him. After a moment of contemplation, though, he pushed himself back towards Lio and let out his hand. “Well if you’re up for it, I can teach it to you now—how’s that sound?”

Lio was hesitant at first. He worried about the experience, which was a very uncommon emotion for him to have. But after looking at Galo’s confident smile and kind eyes, he warmed up to the offer. He grabbed Galo’s hand as the firefighter pulled Lio to his side.

“Alright! The first thing you have to do, form your feet into the shape of V. That’s how you stand still on the ice.”

Lio followed the instruction obediently, but that didn’t stop his legs from shaking under the worrisome pressure of potentially falling.

“Good! Okay...next, turn your toes toward each other and spread your feet apart. Once you do so, lean forward and try not to let go of my hand.”

Lio firmly gripped onto Galo’s palm as he said those words. The green-blonde snidely remarked, “As if I would let go in the first place.” 

He followed Galo’s instructions again, slowly turning his feet inversely. As he did, he felt his body begin to glide forward, which instantly took his nerves. His eyes remained planted on his quivering feet; Galo noticed this and began to pull himself towards Lio’s ear. He whispered: “Don’t worry. Just look up. You’ll be fine.”

The graze of Galo’s soft simple tones brushed against Lio’s ear. It scared the young man more than being on the ice. He felt himself lose balance; his momentum became faster than his own coordination. Before he could pull himself together, Lio felt himself fall backward. Galo moved back as a result, leaving Lio’s small behind as the only thing to cushion his fall.

Galo hid a hand in front of his mouth, trying his best not to snicker. But obviously, he couldn’t help himself. He too fell, crying and loudly laughing at Lio’s less than graceful descent. Lio pulled himself off the ground and looked back at his ‘instructor’. He gave off a look only one could see when he was ‘awakened’ with the most violent rage.

“What the hell was that, Galo? You told me not to let go of your hand, so why the hell did you let go of mine just now?”

Galo wiped the tears from his face as he stood back up and calmly replied, “Sorry...I didn’t mean to let you fall like that. You should expect, though, that whenever you try something new like this, you’re bound to fall at least once when you attempt it.”

Lio exhaled, his rage dissipating. He thought to himself, _'_ _He is right. And it was an accident. I should really calm down and control my anger before it gets too out of hand.'_ He looked back up to find Galo reaching out once again.

“So, are you ready to try again?”

The hand remained extended, asking for a friend. Lio gripped it with his own as he answered, “Yeah. Let’s do it.”

They spent a good amount of time practicing. Galo kept a good hold of Lio, slowly teaching the man how to steer himself forward on the ice. The whole process looked gentle and sweet, like a parent teaching their child how to ride a bike. It wasn’t long before Lio began to understand and utilize the skills Galo taught him. When he finally looked up from his feet, Galo let go of his hand, and Lio managed to skate on his own without any issue.

Galo clapped at his protege, “Nice work, Lio! You’re doing great!”

Lio didn’t really listen, he just enjoyed the moment of freedom he was granted. It was exhilarating; the experience of skating across the lake was such a thrill to him. The feeling reminded him of when he became a Burnish; that moment when he first gained his abilities, it was terrifying. He was scared of this new power, what it could mean to his future. In the end, though, as time continued, and he learned how to use his powers, Lio felt less restrained by the fire and more freed by them. Now, skating across the ice, the former Mad Burnish felt that freedom once again. He missed it so much.

Lio braked and turned back towards Galo. Claps continued to congratulate the ice skating ‘graduate’.

“Nice job! You’re practically a natural!”

Adding to the theatrics Galo initiated, Lio bowed with prince-like grace, as if he had finished a stunning performance. In the moment of pulling himself back up though, he stumbled across the ice. Galo knew this wouldn’t end well, so he pushed himself forward to capture Lio. Once the trip happened, Lio caught Galo by his jacket. He was too afraid to move, but he still managed to look up and find his partner’s concerned face staring back at him. The two were caught in an awkward scene, but their glances to each other were enough to petrify them in this pose for eternity.

Lio, still gripping Galo’s jacket near the core of his stomach, spoke first, “Sorry about that. Got a little overconfident there…”

Galo felt like a cold sweat was about to drip across his forehead, “No. It’s okay. You’re getting better.”

At a slow pace, the two of them let go of the other, only holding the other’s hand in order to reach back to the edge of the lake. The two of them sat near the snowy slope.

For a while, neither of them talked to the other. They both just took in the scenery like a deep breath of fresh air. It had been forever since they had seen this place, but it felt as though they never left it. Everything was the same: the lake, the forest, the mountains. It was all so beautiful and enigmatic, like they were lost in another world.

“Man, I can’t believe it’s been a whole year since we visited this place. Hell, I can’t believe it’s been a whole year since we’ve saved the world!”

Lio didn’t really know what to say other than affirm, “Yeah...it’s kind of crazy to think about.”

Galo continued, “I know, right?! It’s still unbelievable how weird life is now! Or, I guess, how normal things are.”

Lio sighed. He looked back at his left hand. In his thoughts, the former Burnish remembered what happened after he and Galo saved the world. How after setting the most spectacular fire in history, the Promare had said their goodbyes to him and just drifted away. They just up and vanished and would never return to him. He clasped his palm, looking at the edge of his fingertips. He thought to himself, _'_ _It’s hard to believe you’re gone. Ever since I got my powers, I always thought you would stay a part of me until the day I turn to dust. But now things have changed, I can’t help but wonder: will you remember us, as we remember you?'_

“Hey! Earth to Lio! You there, buddy?”

A waving hand brought him back to reality. He turned to Galo, who faced him with some mild worry. “You feeling okay? If you want, we can just head home early and skip-”

Lio blurted out, “No! No. Sorry...no. I’m alright. I just… have a lot on my mind is all.”

Galo’s concern never left his face. He knew what Lio was thinking about just from the look on his face at that very moment. And since Lio was still unable to really open up to him about the Promare, Galo couldn’t do anything to help in his own way, other than leave the former Burnish be. Instead of being his usual self and asking to delve deeper into the subject, Galo just silently said, “Okay,” and left it at that.

The subject changed. “How’d you like the bike?”

Lio smiled, “It’s great, Galo. Probably one of the best gifts I’ve ever been given in my life.”

“-which hasn’t been much right?”

The smile hid under Lio’s knees. “Yeah…”

_'Wow, I screwed this up so quickly...'_ , was all Galo could think to himself. He tried to change the vibe again, “But now, you have so many gifts! And so many new friends! Like Aina and Remi and Varys and, of course, Gueira and Meis. Oh, and now you’re a new member of Burning Rescue too! Isn’t that awesome?!”

Lio couldn’t help but sternly glare at Galo, “Wow, way to soften the blow _you_ __ gave me…”

Galo rubbed the front of his nose bashfully as he failed to see the sarcasm. “Heh...Anytime…”

Lio sighed at his partner’s stupidity. Still, he also couldn’t help but smile as well. He knew Galo wasn’t very tactful, but he was still very smart and incredibly caring. He saw this last year when he apologized for his discriminatory comment against the Burnish...and when the firefighter used his words to calm Lio down in his most vulnerable state...and especially when in Lio’s near dying moments, Galo managed to use the flames he was given to save the young Burnish.

Recollecting these few, intimate moments, Lio felt another reminder pop into his head. He gave everyone their gifts from Detroit, but was unable to give the most important gift of all to Galo. _'_ _I mean, should I really give this to him now? After all the crap I’ve said on the phone? He bought me a freaking motorcycle for crying out loud and I’ve just been rude to him since yesterday, how am I supposed to give this to him casually?_ '

Still, the Galo part of his consciousness kicked in and told Lio, _'_ _Show him. He’ll love it either way because it’s from you.'_

Lio pulled from his left pants pocket the item in question. He kept it hidden within his palms and faced Galo.

“Hey, Galo,” Lio said, hiding his face with his bangs, “I’ve been meaning to give you a gift at the party, but I wasn't sure when I could…”

Unsure if Lio forgot to have a gift ready for him, Galo waved a hand humbly as he said, “Oh! You don’t have to worry about that, Lio! Just the fact that you’re here means the world to me.”

Lio felt the frustration well up in him again by Galo’s oblivious nature, but he managed to calm himself before speaking. “No—what I mean to say is...I have a gift for you.” He raised his clasped hands like he was a kid presenting a caught firefly to his friends. 

“It’s not as grand as the one we made last year or anything, but I...I wanted to at least make it for you again...so here!”

He opened his hands and dropped the gift into Galo’s own open palms. The latter looked down at his hands to see what this special item was.

Revealed within was a charm. A small keyring containing an item Galo was instantly attached to by appearance alone: a mini matoi.

He pinched the keyring, placing his focus on this one trinket. He swirled the tiny matoi’s tassels and gazed at its delicate craftsmanship. One detail, in particular, caught his eye the most: on the top of the circular banner in bold capital letters read **ガロ**. Galo’s very name was inscribed on this gift. This matoi was his and his alone.

All of this was enough for Galo to just pull Lio into a flying bear hug.

“I love it, Lio! This is the most amazing gift I’ve ever gotten! Thank you thank you thank you!”

The two spun around in this grip for a couple of moments, before Lio could barely handle being squeezed to death and yelped out, “Glad you like it...Now can you let me go?”

Galo apologized and gently placed the smaller of the pair back down. Once he did, he looked back at his charm with sparkling eyes. 

“This is incredible! Where did you find this, Lio? I mean, I have such a hard time finding stuff like this online or even in novelty shops!”

Lio smiled a little; he felt much more relaxed knowing Galo enjoyed his gift so much. “Uh, well... I actually made it. It took a while planning the design and finding the right materials, but I guess I should be proud of my results…”

Galo’s eyes beamed back, full of surprise and enjoyment that Lio crafted a matoi so delicate and detailed, “Of course you should! This is the most amazing gift I’ve ever gotten in my life! It even has my name on it!”

Galo couldn’t keep his eyes off this tiny charm. He was so enamored by how Lio created something that was so important to him. Then again, Lio did make a matoi before when they were battling Kray long ago. But still, the fact that Lio took time and effort to make something like this for Galo as a gift of all things, it led the firefighter to tears. 

Without hesitation, Galo quickly pulled Lio close into another hug. He nuzzled his chin on the top of Lio’s head. Through tears of joy, he softly cried, “Thank you, Lio. Thank you so much.”

Lio pulled his face close to Galo’s chest as they embraced, glad that things were finally returning to some normalcy. “You’re welcome, Galo. Glad you like it.”

  
  


* * *

For a while, the two just sat back at the edge of the lake and talked. They discussed Lio’s grades at the academy and what the two were going to do with Gueira and Meis before the duo left town for Florida and Dallas respectively. A mild laugh from Galo, however, shifted Lio back to some thoughts of guilt. Guilt in being not entirely open to Galo. His thoughts went back to the car ride with his friends, and so, he took a small window to finally talk about the big elephant in the room.

“So... I met with an old friend in Detroit a couple of days ago. He was a journalist that has a strong bias against the Burnish and… well, I may have lost my cool when he started talking about the Foresight Foundation and the Parnassus Project.”

“Okay…” Galo asked in an undetermined tone.

Lio exhaled, he felt the loss of control as the rage within him took over and spread over each of his statements like wildfire, “He just…kept saying the same thing over and over: that Kray was right in capturing the Burnish. That having us locked up guaranteed the public’s safety! That we were all murderers and abusers that only wished to let other people suffer. He kept saying that, over and over again, like a never-ending loop-“

Galo interjected for a brief moment, “Now Lio, we both know that’s not the tru-“

Lio stood up fast. He finally had the urge to look at Galo, the anger seething in him, “That’s not all, though! It wasn’t just his words, Galo. If you saw how he behaved at the diner, you would notice as I did. He was avoiding eye contact with one of the waitresses, talking behind her back, saying her life should have been in Kray’s hands—he even acted like he was being attacked when we were arguing. Like I was about to just pounce on his throat at any given moment!”

Short, overwhelmed breaths ran through Lio’s throat as he looked at Galo with violence in his eyes. The face staring back at such open resentment, was what Lio should’ve expected from Galo: stoic, determined, and always confident. Galo pulled himself up from the snowy edge and, after a couple of moments of silence, pulled Lio to his side once more.

He pulled the man close to him, running his arms up and down Lio’s back. Galo’s hands pushed past the coat’s fabric, past the layer of shirt, and into the feeling of Lio’s back. He slowly took in its curvature like a sculpture. He felt Lio’s hot breath graze his neck, the cold air no longer an issue. Soon, though, Lio’s breath grew slower and much calmer, and a new feeling laid on top of Galo’s shirt. The touch of hands gripped amongst the fabric…and the sound of choked cries being muffled by his chest.

Lio sobbed, “I know it’s only been a year, but…I wish things would change sooner, Galo. I hate that even after losing the ability to burn, we’re still seen with some prejudice as if nothing has happened. I don’t like spending my life worried I’ll have a target on my back all the time. And…I don’t want that for Gueira and Meis, either. Not one person should have to live their life like this, right?”

Galo kept Lio in this embrace, allowing the tears to coldly stain his shirt. He hated seeing Lio hurt like this, but he also knew that life wasn’t as simple as they wished it could be. “Things’ll get better, Lio. I mean, they already have been. Thanks to you and the rest of the Burnish, Promepolis is being restored into a better city. Plus, in case you forgot, you're studying a job that involves saving citizens' lives! Many already appreciate you for that. Including me.”

Lio tucked his face closer into Galo’s chest, hiding his warm smile as his boyfriend did all that he could to cheer him up. He always forgets how great Galo can be in helping his friends see the best sides of themselves. Even in all the dark corners of the world, Galo’s soul burned brightly to unveil the beauty of those he cared about.

“But…”

Galo pulled Lio back, his hands clutching arms. Without a moment’s notice, the firefighter moved his head away, then slammed his forehead straight into Lio’s, stunning the poor Burnish.

As Lio saw stars fly around his mind, Galo spoke through his daze in frustration, “You shouldn’t have picked a fight like that. I know you have a really bad temper, but you need to control yourself when dealing with difficult people. Not everything can be solved by fighting, you of all people should know that much.”

Lio’s temper angrily spat back, “I can’t help it if people insult me or my friends like he did! How do you expect me to behave if he insulted you? If he did that to you, I would’ve ripped him apart where he stood!”

Galo rolled his eyes at that statement. The firefighter hardly ever gets frustrated with Lio, but tonight seemed different. “You can’t expect everyone around the world to act better to you. There will always be someone out there who’ll have it out for us, who still believes fighting is the true option. But we-“

Galo pulled Lio back to his side. 

“-are firefighters. We serve to protect and care for those in need, including those lunatics. As long as they don’t fight back, we shouldn’t attack them either. We need to stand as the most kind-hearted souls on this team, shining examples that will burn into the memories of all we help and save in our city.”

Lio observed Galo, who just gave his usual big ole’ smile. In turn, Lio smiled back. He felt a familiar warmth rekindling within the two of them. Before the moment could be sealed away by romantics, though, a blaring alarm muttered through Galo’s pants pocket.

He pulled the phone to reveal the message: **LANTERN CEREMONY** next to an animated clock.

“Ah! It looks like it’s about time!”

Galo knelt down towards his bag, unzipped the canvas, and unveiled what the two had both prepared for.

In his left hand, Galo held a small lighter. In the right hand, a paper lantern.

He handed the lighter to Lio before carefully unfolding the lantern. He spun around in many circles so the material could collect air.

“Don’t go too fast! You’ll make yourself dizzy.” Lio barked with concern. But Galo didn’t listen, as evident when he stopped and began to take a few steps back, queasy with vertigo.

“I’m fine, Lio~! More importantly, she’s all ready to go! Are you ready to light it up?” Galo held the lantern straight and with confidence.

Lio just nodded, kneeled down to where he could find the lantern’s bamboo ring, and within a flick of the lighter, lit a pink flame and hovered it over the fuel cell. After a couple of moments of pyromancy, Lio turned off the light and stood quickly back from the lantern. He cradled the lighter close to his chest. 

Galo pulled the lantern down a little, patiently waiting for it to be set aflame. He smiled as the cell began to burn up, and a pink flame started making its presence.

“Hey! Lio! You watching this?”

The fireman turned. His smile began to fade again, as he saw Lio cradled on the ground.

He couldn’t blame Lio for his feelings: this year was definitely a rough one for him. But Galo didn’t want this celebratory day to end in heartbreak. He lifted his arms high and yelled: “C’mon Lio!” 

Lio’s head peeked out in response.

“Climb under my arm! We gotta do this together!”

Lio listened, pulling himself back up, wiping an arm across his face, then finally walking underneath Galo’s arms without the need to duck his head. Once Lio grabbed the edge of the lantern’s ring, Galo added his next instruction.

“Let’s do it on the count of three, okay?”

Lio nodded, “Yeah.”

“Alright, here we go! 

1…

2…

3!”

At the same time, the two gently let go of the ring. The burn of the flame grew and colored the canvas a brilliant bright pink. It slowly but assuredly drifted away from the lake, beyond the trees, into the night sky. 

Soon enough, Galo and Lio watched as two more lanterns joined in. Then ten. Then a hundred. All burned brightly in different colors. Lio noticed there was one that lit with a blue flame and another with an orange flame. The two were near each other as well, meaning one thing for the former 'boss'. 

Time passed, though, and all eventually floated together, each with a moderate amount of space keeping them a bit apart. The night sky was painted with a fiery neon rainbow. It was the most beautiful sight in Galo and Lio’s eyes. The stream of lanterns appeared above them as if they were constructing a bridge into another world.

“Wow…” Galo said with childlike wonder in his eyes. Lio would comment on how cute his boyfriend was being if he wasn’t becoming mesmerized by the site either.

“Yeah…wow.”

For the moment, it felt beautiful to watch such an amazing ‘trail of fire’ light up the night, but after a while, the sadness returned for Lio. He thought to himself, ‘ _Guess this really is goodbye. I’ll never see you again. I should’ve expected this a long time ago, but… somehow, the loss still sting_ s.’

He felt his head spin at that moment. It felt like an ordinary headache, possibly from stress. But soon, the pain grew and consumed him, making Lio fall to his knees.

Galo spoke with concern, “What’s happening, Lio? …Lio?”

The pain persisted. Lio couldn’t function; his whole body trembled as he tried to remain conscious. His left hand began to sting as if it had just been freshly cut by a blade. He looked at his palm, expecting a gash or a wound or anything remotely plausible.

But his eyes widened. Instead of seeing a cut, he saw a familiar rupture in his hand. No flesh. No bone. A spatial tear that ripped across his grasp. Within this black void emerged wisps of vibrant smoke. They moved like inhuman tendrils towards Lio’s face, who just watched bewildered. When the phantom-like appendages reached his cheeks, Lio felt their gentle touch. A sharp pain emerged in his head and he closed his eyes out of instinct before hearing their voices call to him.

**“…We…see you…Lio Fotia…and we miss you…”**

Lio shuddered. His eyes remained locked on the gate he currently held in his hand. He slowly kept his other hand close, reaching towards one of the ghostly wisps that gently embraced him. Even without touching, the feeling was warm, as expected. Without any fear, Lio just grabbed onto the purple tendril. His hand felt hot, but he didn’t care. There was no pain, no scars. Only tears on his end. The voices whispered unto him.

**“…We will never forget you...we'll cherish you...goodbye…”**

The tears came back. And Lio embraced them this time, along with the gentle flame of his former companion. Slowly, the two of them let go, knowing this rupture wouldn’t last forever. They wished it did, and someday maybe it would. They carried that feeling together, as Lio opened his eyes and found the palm of his hand holding no spatial tear. No cut of any kind. Just gentle skin.

Galo cries returned to Lio’s hearing, “Lio! What’s going on? Is everything okay? Should we head to the doctor?! Screw it! I’m making a call right now-“

“I’m fine, Galo. It’s over.”

Before entering the last ‘1’ on his phone needed to call for help, Galo stopped, puzzled by Lio’s last sentence, “What’s over?”

Lio wiped the tears from his face. “I just met with an old friend. That’s all.”

It may have looked or sounded crazy to someone that never experienced the Burnish before, but Galo understood what happened in that instant. And just pulled Lio back into his arms. Lio’s own arms responded in kind, reaching across Galo’s back. The couple both closed their eyes, keeping their warm embrace in mind and soul.

Lio pulled his head up to Galo’s shoulder, quietly whispering through shirt fabric, “I’ve missed you, Galo Thymos.”

Galo smiled and replied through the cold air, “I’ve missed you too, Lio Fotia.”

Moments pass, and slowly they each pull themselves out of their own entwinement. They both kept an arm across the other’s back as they looked upon the stars. 

Although it was nearly out of sight, the two still managed to spot their pink lantern. 

Even in the depths of space, it’s light still managed to never wear out.

A voice spoke up amongst the quiet of the night, “Next year, why don’t we plan a trip out of the States together? Just the two of us.”

“Yeah…I’d like that a lot.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Promare is such an amazing movie and I wanted to contribute to the anniversary in my own weird, unique way. This movie always inspires me and is such an emotional experience for me, so I hope I have done justice in celebrating it through this story!
> 
> I would like to also thank the Big Burn mods for organizing this event. It was a huge project that I feel proud to contribute towards.
> 
> Special shout out to The Settlement as well! You guys are amazing, I hope you know that! <3
> 
> The art for this chapter was created by the talented Min! Please check out and support their work on their twitter: [@yanyanrkgk](https://twitter.com/yanyanrkgk)
> 
> Special Thanks also to [@matsuhannah](https://twitter.com/matsuhannah) for beta-reading the story. You were a huge help!
> 
> As always, thank you so much for reading! And Happy 1st Anniversary Promare!


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